Reviews with content warning for Death - To Kill a Kingdom

I didn't enjoy the book as much as I thought I would. The entire time I was reading it, I just wanted to skip to the end, which should never be the case when you're faced with a story full of your all-time favorite tropes. I'm always weak for enemies-to-lovers romance in fantasy, but there's just something about To Kill a Kingdom that was such an absolute pain to read. I was already at my limit during the first half, but I stuck with it because I thought that I was judging too hastily and that I might like it over time. Unfortunately, I didn't. I just ended up being angry, at me for choosing to waste my time over this and at the book for wasting its immense potential.

For one, I was so frustrated with Elian's character. The book made him out to be this typical tortured, brooding main character whose family and duty shackled him from living the life he always dreamed of. And while I have nothing against this (personally, I love the trope), how the story executed it felt shallow and underwhelming. Yes, he's going through shit, but he's nowhere near tortured, brooding, or shackled. His family, though insistent he stayed in Midas, never banned or punished him for his pirate pursuits. They merely expressed concerns for his safety and the future of the kingdom, which is completely understandable given the danger and uncertainty at sea. Otherwise, they supported him through and through. They let him leave after only a few days in the kingdom. They provided him with resources, including his favorite ship. It's also likely that part of the funds used to obtain them were from the people's dime. I find it extremely annoying for him to dismiss this as being "caged" by his princely duties when the only reason he could even go on these quests without any consequences was his privilege. I'm not saying his feelings aren't valid; they are. But there's no denying that he's also entitled, immature, and reckless. I would've forgiven it if there was some form of redemption arc or at the very least an attempt to address it, but there was none. It's a shame because it felt like such an important aspect of his character.

In contrast, I think Lira's character was a much more believable attempt at a tortured protagonist. Though she's royalty like Elian, she did not have the same privilege and support system as him. Her sole parental figure was cruel and abusive. She had no friends except her cousin, with whom she has a complicated relationship with. She was conditioned at a young age that power and cruelty go hand-in-hand and that human ideals like love and empathy were signs of weakness. And yet, as everything unraveled, she began to unlearn these twisted notions and discovered that there is as much strength in them as there are weakness. It was incredibly touching to watch her character grow from a vicious siren princess to a compassionate sea queen. While I do not feel particularly attached to anyone in this book, I find that it was Lira whom I was rooting for the most.

In terms of the romance, it was not as much a slowburn as it was slow paced. When it's a slowburn romance, there are little things happening that gradually build the tension between the two characters. Nothing noteworthy happened in the first half, and even if there were, none of Lira and Elian's interactions oozed romantic chemistry, even the ones that were classically designed to make anyone swoon. They flirted at times, but it was nothing compared to Kye and Madrid. Whatever relationship Lira and Elian had, it seemed platonic at most. Honestly, I wish it went that route because then, it would've made more sense. The romance between them felt so forced and unnatural that I couldn't help but cringe every time they had a scene together.

Perhaps the only thing that excited me about this book was the impressive worldbuilding. I loved reading about the different countries. It's funny how they were far more interesting than the romance itself. I wish we got to see more of them, whether it's Págos, Eidýllio, or even Midas. The writing was vivid, atmospheric, and immersive, but there are times when it was bogged down by too many flowery descriptions and repetitive narrations. This was also true when it came to the characters. Elian constantly went on and on about people always seeing him as "just a prince", and this happened so frequently that almost every other chapter with his point of view featured some paraphrased version of this narrative. I get it, he wants to be viewed as someone more than his birth right, but do I really have to be reminded of it all the time? No. Most of it was unnecessary and did not add any depth to his character.

I know a lot of people love this book, and I wish I did too because I was really looking forward to it when I first heard of the premise. Sadly, it's just not for me.

Content Warnings

dorleness's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Content Warnings

solouncapitulomas's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

4.5

almost a perfect standalone fantasy but the ending felt rushed and I think it could've been a longer book and that MAYBE would have helped the characters to build a better final battle, but that's just me and regardless I did love a lot and will be reading more from the amazing author

Content Warnings

tsked_off's review against another edition

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adventurous dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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